This invention relates in general to devices for snelling fishhooks.
In fishing, fishhooks have to be frequently retied. With frequent casting, the line will fray near the hook, necessitating retying. Hooks are also lost from snagging objects.
The type of line being normally used is a monofilament plastic line. This line is slick and difficult to tie. To secure the knot, the fisherman must pull the line tightly while holding the hook. Often, this step results in the hook piercing the fisherman's fingers or hand. The hook is difficult to retain by hand while pulling tightly against it. This is particularly a problem when the hook and the user's hands are wet.
In the patented art, fishhook holders are proposed to solve this problem. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,700,840, a device that fits in the user's palm is shown. This device has a clip for retaining the hook while tying. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,021, a ring for insertion over the fingers is shown. A tube with a longitudinal slot is secured to the ring. The shank of the hook is adapted to be pushed inside the tube for facilitating tying. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,396,998, a hook shaped retainer is adapted to grip the fishhook for tying. The retainer is held by a tube that is gripped by the user. While these devices may be of assistance in tying hooks, a simpler more efficacious device is desired. U.S. Pat. No. 1,247,184 shows a simple crochet tension device, however it would not be suitable for snelling fishhooks.